GermanVerbs, Sentence Structure In German, a separable verb is a verb that is composed of two parts: a base verb and a prefixNo definition set for prefixLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.. They are called “separable” because these prefixes often separate from the base verb, as in the example below:
anrufe → Ich rufe meine Eltern an.
to call → I am calling my parents.
→ In German, separable verbs are called trennbare Präfixverben(separable prefix-verbs).
However, not all German verbs with prefixes are separable! When using an inseparable-prefix verb, the prefix and the base verb will always be attached:
bestellen → Wir bestellen Kaffee und Kuchen.
to order → We order coffee and cake.
→ In German, verbs with inseparable prefixes are called untrennbare Präfixverben(inseparable prefix-verbs).
In this post, we’ll talk about how you can tell if a German prefix can be separated from a verb, and go over the situations where this separation is expected. Along the way, we’ll direct you to some resources where you can learn more about separable and inseparable verbs in German. Ready to have a look? Let’s check it out!
What is a separable prefix in German?
In German, a separable prefix is the beginning part of a separable verb, the part which will sometimes be split off and appear on its own.
separable prefix
einkaufen → Wir kaufen jedes Wochenende im Supermarkt ein.
to shop → Every weekend, we go shopping in the supermarket.
A separable prefix is usually an adverb or preposition that can be used independently, but it’s considered a separable prefix when it becomes associated with a particular base verb, altering its meaning of that verb in ways that you can’t always predict by looking at the meaning of each part by itself. For example:
separable prefix
away + buy → to buy (something from someone)
However, prefixes can’t always be separated from the verb. Though inseparable prefixes alter the meaning of a base word in a similar way to separable ones, they will always be attached to the base word.
inseparable prefix
❌Andrea kauft heute ihr Fahrrad ver.
✅Andrea verkauft heute ihr Fahrrad.
Andrea is selling her bicycle today.
Though separable prefixes will not always be separated from the verb, the fact that they can be separated from the verb makes them special. Keep reading to find out more about when they are and are not separated from the base verb!
Which German prefixes are separable?
In German, a prefix is only separable if it belongs to a separable verb. Though some prefixes are almost always separable or almost always inseparable, many prefixes are separable in some verbs but not others. How can you be certain? Look at where the stressNo definition set for stressLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. falls on the verb:
The verb is separable if the stress is on the first syllable (e.g. áb·fahren)
The verb is inseparable if the stress is on the base verb (e.g. be·ántworten)
Check out this list of separable and inseparable prefixes in German for some more examples.
Some verbs are separable with one meaning and inseparable with another! For example, übersetzen can have two meanings, depending on where you put the stress:
übersetzen (the first syllable stressed) means “to cross over”
base verbseparable prefix
George Washington setzt über den Delaware.
George Washington crosses the Delaware.
übersetzen (stress on the base verb) means “to translate”
inseparable prefixbase verb
Der Übersetzer übersetzt den Roman ins Deutsche.
The translator translates the novel into German.
When to split a prefix from the verb in German?
We’ve already seen that inseparable prefixes can never be split from the verb. However, separable verbs are sometimes split.
Here are the cases where a separable prefix SHOULD be split from the base verb in German:
Main clauses in the simple present tense
base verbseparable prefix
Ich rufe meine Eltern morgen an.
I am calling my parents tomorrow.
Main clauses in the simple past tense
base verbseparable prefix
Ich rief meine Eltern morgen an.
I called my parents yesterday.
The imperative
base verbseparable prefix
Ruf deine Eltern endlich wieder einmal an!
Finally call your parents!
Main clauses in the subjunctive II
base verbseparable prefix
Ich riefe meine Eltern an, wenn mein Telefon nicht kaputt wäre.
I’d call my parents if my phone weren’t broken.
Questions and negative statements
base verbseparable prefix
Rufst du deine Eltern an, wenn du ankommst?
Are you going to call your parents when you arrive?
Here are the cases where the separable prefix SHOULD NOT be split from the base verb:
In subordinate clauses
separable prefixbase verb
Bevor ich meine Eltern morgen anrufe, muss ich noch mit meiner Freundin sprechen.
Before I call my parents tomorrow, I’ll have to talk to my friend.
→ simple present
Weil ich meine Eltern gestern nicht anrief, sind sie mir heute böse.
Because I didn’t call my parents yesterday, they are mad at me today.
→ simple past
Wenn ich meine Eltern heute anriefe, wären sie sehr glücklich.
If I called my parents today, they’d be very happy.
→ subjunctive II
When there is an auxiliary verb, as in compound tensesNo definition set for compound tensesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. (e.g. perfect tense or future tense) and passive verbs
auxiliary verbseparable prefixbase verb
Wir werden nächsten Winter nach Österreich umziehen.
We will move to Austria next winter.
Habt ihr Obst und Gemüse eingekauft?
Have you shopped for fruits and vegetables?
→ The prefix
ge- forms the
past participle, and when it’s added to a separable verb, it goes between the prefix and the base verb!
Wir wären früher angekommen, wenn unser Auto nicht liegen geblieben wäre.
We would have arrived earlier if our car hadn’t broken down.
After modal verbs
modal verbseparable prefixbase verb
Tina muss heute noch mit ihrer Seminararbeit anfangen.
Tina has to start her term paper today.
Any time you form the infinitive with zu(to)
separable prefix'zu'base verb
Ich habe wiederholt versucht, dich anzurufen.
I tried to call you repeatedly.
Tanja ging auf die Post, um eine Postkarte an ihre Eltern abzuschicken.
Tanja went to the post office in order to mail a postcard to her parents.
Ohne anzuhalten, fuhr der Zug am Bahnhof vorbei.
The train passed the station without stopping.
We have seen that inseparable prefixes are never separated from their verb. In addition, the past participle form of these verbs is not formed by adding a ge- prefix between the inseparable prefix and the base verb.
inseparable prefixbase verb
Martin hat seine Zugfahrkarte zu Hause vergessen.
Martin has forgotten his train ticket at home.
Nachdem wir unsere Freunde begrüßt hatten, gingen wir zusammen in den Garten.
After we had greeted our friends, we went into the garden together.
War es Andrea, die euch das italienische Restaurant empfohlen hat?
Was it Andrea who recommended the Italian restaurant to you?
Summary
Here are the main things to take away about separable and inseparable verbs in German:
Both separable and inseparable verbs are formed by adding a prefix to a “base verb.”
Separable verbs have stress on the prefix, inseparable verbs have stress on the second syllable.
Split the prefix from separable verbs in a main clause in the simple present, simple past, subjunctive II, or in interrogatives, questions, and negative sentences.
And now as a bonus bit of fun before you leave this post and move on to the separable verb exercises, I would like to draw your attention to an excerpt of an essay by Mark Twain in which he demonstrates how separable prefix-verbs would look like in the English language:
The Germans have another kind of parenthesis, which they make by splitting a verb in two and putting half of it at the beginning of an exciting chapter and the OTHER HALF at the end of it. Can any one conceive of anything more confusing than that? These things are called “separable verbs.” The German grammar is blistered all over with separable verbs; and the wider the two portions of one of them are spread apart, the better the author of the crime is pleased with his performance. A favorite one is REISTE AB – which means departed. Here is an example which I culled from a novel and reduced to English:
“The trunks being now ready, he DE- after kissing his mother and sisters, and once more pressing to his bosom his adored Gretchen, who, dressed in simple white muslin, with a single tuberose in the ample folds of her rich brown hair, had tottered feebly down the stairs, still pale from the terror and excitement of the past evening, but longing to lay her poor aching head yet once again upon the breast of him whom she loved more dearly than life itself, PARTED.”
To embark on your next language adventure, join Mango on social!
